The Neverending Story" and "ragnarok

"The NeverEnding Story" and "Ragnarok"

Mythology and Film/Theater Essay

When you first see the movie, "The NeverEnding Story" you may not see the similarities to the myth of Ragnarok, but they are there. In the NeverEnding story you have different creatures and humans working toward the same end, saving the childlike empress, and in turn saving there world, Fantasia. What you don't understand until the end is that not all their world will be saved, but what is saved is better than what was not saved. In the myth of "Ragnarok", you also have many different creatures and humans working toward the same end or "Ragnarok". Which is the end of one way of life but the beginning of a better way of life?

In these lines from the movie, "The NeverEnding Story", Bastian, the human child is disappointed that Fantasia has been destroyed, but the Childlike Empress reassures him.

Bastian: What is that?

The Childlike Empress: One grain of sand. It is all that remains of my vast empire.

Bastian: Fantasia has totally disappeared?

The Childlike Empress: Yes.

Bastian: Then, everything's been in vain.

The Childlike Empress: No, it hasn't. Fantasia can arise anew, from your dreams and wishes, Bastian. (The Internet Movie Database)

In Norse mythology, "Ragnarök is a series of future events, including a great battle foretold to ultimately result in the death of a number of major figures (including the gods Odin, Thor, and Loki), the occurrence of various natural disasters, and the subsequent submersion of the world in water. Afterward, the world will resurface anew and fertile, the surviving and reborn gods will meet, and the world will be repopulated by two human survivors." (Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

There are heroes in each story, as well as villains. In the "NeverEnding Story" Bastian is the human hero (from reality) and he doesn't even realize he is a part of the story till the end. Atreyu is the hero from Fantasia, who is sent to find out how to save the Childlike Empress and the kingdom of Fantasia. Both of the heroes are young boys. The Villains in the story are "The Nothing" and his servant, Gmork, who is sent to stop Atreyu from saving Fantasia.

In the myth, "Ragnarok", the greatest hero is Sigurd, who is a great, kind and caring warrior. And Loki is the evil trickster who is the one who will bring about the "ragnarok" by killing Balder, who was one of the great God Odin's sons and one of the hero Sigurd's brothers.

In the movie the "NeverEnding